About This Gigapan

The level of Lake Turkana has fluctuated markedly during the Holocene, or last 10,000 years. This scene shows sediments that were deposited when climatic conditions caused the lake to rise well above its present level. The lake beds are silt, fine sand, and diatomite that are eroded into a 'bad lands' topography. Currently Lake Turkana, which can be seen in the background, is an alkaline lake with no outlet to the sea. This outcrop is near Koobi Fora, a famous location for hominid fossils. Lake Turkana is located in the east Africa rift zone, in northern Kenya.